After a public hearing and completed research from a subcommittee, Brownwood City Council members denied, in a 4 to 1 vote, the application of Heart of Texas EMS to be granted a license to operate an emergency medical vehicle and emergency medical service inside the city limits of Brownwood.
Following the public hearing held during the January 24, 2012 city council meeting, Brownwood Mayor Stephen Haynes appointed council members Eddie Watson and Jerry DeHay to determine whether a public convenience and necessity existed regarding granting a second EMS service a license within the city limits.
During the January 24th public hearing, David Furry, owner of Heart of Texas EMS, came before the council to request a license to provide an additional ambulance service for the city for transport of non-emergency patients traveling to and from hospitals and clinics within the area and outside the area. According to Furry, there have been times when a cooperative effort of two services could have provided more timely service to patients in the area and that he believes there is a need by the public for such service.
Furry pointed out that competition is good for all types of business and produces better service for customers when businesses are forced to compete. He addressed councilmen individually as to their own businesses and experiences where they are faced with competition and are not allowed a monopoly.
Currently, the City of Brownwoodis under contract withGuardian EMS service for all emergency and non-emergency services. In fact, a city ordinance was established which prohibits other EMS services from transporting patients within the city. Brown County is also under an agreement with Guardian EMS to provide this exclusive service. Both Brownwoodand Brown County entered into a 5 year contract with Guardian in January of 2011, which not only provides service to the citizens of the area, but also provides for a subsidy to be paid to Guardian EMS which helps offset costs for those who are transported who do not have insurance or who cannot pay for these services, according to Guardian EMS CEO Ricky Powell who also addressed the council on January 24th.
This committee interviewed many individuals who work in local healthcare, including Brown County officials, dispatch employees of emergency services, BrownwoodRegional Medical Center officials and emergency room staff, and administrators of local nursing homes, and also visited the facilities of both Guardian EMS and Heart of Texas EMS services.
“It is the committee’s findings that the public is adequately served by Guardian EMS. Almost without fail, the committee received positive feedback from healthcare providers, nursing homes and other interested parties, that Guardian EMS is doing a very good job in providing EMS services to the citizens of Brownwood,” explained committee member Councilman Jerry DeHay. “Although there have been isolated incidences of complaints against Guardian, those do not seem to be the norm, but rather anomalies. In addition, because of the subsidy that is paid to Guardian EMS, the committee finds that the licensing to another EMS service within the city may adversely affect the emergency medical services to the citizens of Brownwood.”
Mayor Haynes thanked the committee for their work on this matter.
“I appreciate these two committee members. They spent a lot of time researching and talking to these people,” said Mayor Haynes.
Bobby Rountree also thanked Heart of Texas EMS for the information that they provided for the city to consider their application.
